MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

July 27, 2026 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON–Today, Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expeditiously review the permit application for the reconstruction of the City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin. The application was submitted in May 2024 following catastrophic damage from Hurricane Ian (2022), but the critical public waterfront facility remains shuttered. The letter requests a status update and a meeting with representatives of the Department of the Army, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the City of Fort Myers, and Suntex Marinas to identify any remaining issues necessary to completion. This letter follows a damage assessment tour with City of Fort Myers leadership and Congressman Steube on July 7, 2026, where Mayor Kevin Anderson explained the issues the community has faced in getting this project off the ground. To read the full letter, click here.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced the Congress Leads by Example Act, which would subject Congress and the rest of the legislative branch to workplace laws that protect employees in the private sector and the executive branch.

“Congress should abide by the laws it imposes on others, including those that protect employees,” Norton said. “Congress already acknowledged the importance of accountability in the legislative branch when it passed the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and further confirmed it when it passed the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act in 2018. As a former chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, I take these issues very seriously. My bill builds on the protections in previous laws, bringing the protections for legislative branch employees in line with those for other workers.

“Critically, this bill would also help restore the public’s trust in Congress by redoubling our efforts to lead by example.”

Norton’s introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the Congress Leads by Example Act of 2026

Today, I introduce the Congress Leads by Example Act of 2026, which would apply to the legislative branch many of the laws that protect employees in the private sector and the executive branch. Congress should abide by the laws it imposes on others.

In 1995, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA), which applied 13 existing civil rights, labor and workplace safety and health laws to the legislative branch.  In 2018, after reports of sexual harassment in Congress and in light of the #MeToo movement, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act (Reform Act), which changed the name of the Office of Compliance to the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR), revised the process to resolve workplace claims and extended CAA protections to unpaid staff, interns and fellows.  It also made Members of Congress personally liable for their own violations of workplace harassment and retaliation laws.

The CAA and the Reform Act were important steps in making the legislative branch accountable for its employment practices, but they did not finish the job.  As noted, the CAA brought the legislative branch under 13 existing civil rights, labor and workplace safety and health laws but it omitted important substantive and procedural protections.  OCWR has identified additional federal workplace laws and procedures that should apply to the legislative branch.  This bill takes into account OCWR’s recommendations. 

This bill would provide general whistleblower protections and make additional Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) anti-retaliation provisions applicable to the legislative branch. This bill would provide subpoena authority to OCWR to conduct inspections and investigations into OSHA violations.  It also would provide extended paid parental bereavement leave to legislative branch employees.

This bill would further the CAA’s goal of preventing workplace discrimination in the legislative branch by prohibiting the legislative branch from making adverse employment decisions based on an employee’s wage garnishment or involvement in bankruptcy proceedings pursuant to the Consumer Credit Protection Act or Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code.

Finally, this bill would bolster the CAA’s recordkeeping requirements.  It would apply to the legislative branch the obligation to maintain accurate records of safety information and employee injuries, as otherwise required by OSHA, as well as employee records necessary to administer anti-discrimination laws.

This bill would help restore the public’s trust in Congress by redoubling our efforts to exercise leadership by example.  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Dingell, Moolenaar Joint Statement on Senate Commerce Committee Passage of the Connected Vehicle Security Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, penned a new op-ed that details the potential advances of health care through artificial intelligence (AI). An embrace of AI applications presents challenges, which is why Chairman Griffith stresses the importance of human supervision to complement the AI transition. 

You can read Chairman Griffith’s op-ed piece in the Washington Times here and below.

Smart use of AI can improve American healthcare

Revolutionary ideas and technologies continue to fuel success stories in health care.

As a senior member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, I regularly hear perspectives on medical advances that bring newfound hope to patients, families and communities.

Telehealth is one such technological breakthrough. By saving patients time, money and peace of mind, many Americans enjoy more convenient and accessible care.

While the demand for health care convenience and access soars, so too does the demand for new cures and treatments.

The Health Subcommittee has championed policies to help create new classes of treatments for rare diseases.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act which became law in February strengthens federal efforts to review and approve therapies for rare diseases like pediatric cancer.

The ACT for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026 which I reported out of the Health Subcommittee directs millions of dollars to research for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Congressional actions like these, among others, to support American patients are meaningful steps to strengthen the future of the American health care landscape.

What else bears fruit for our medical future?

I believe much of our health care success will hinge on the blossoming potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

This Congress, I led a Health Subcommittee hearing to explore ways our American health care system can keep pace with the speed of science through applications of AI and ML.

AI presents new opportunities to detect disease sooner, deploy improved medical guidance and deliver more precise care to patients. The sooner that the patient receives care, the lesser the risk of severe illness or death that the patient faces.

Not only does this approach prevent delays in care; it also helps prevent future cost increases that impact patients, government programs and health care providers.

In addition to benefitting our health care system, a boost in early detection efforts will ease the burdens on health care providers!

Additional resources are made available, thanks to AI advances.

Medical device companies analyze how their products can better administer care. Insurance companies process claims to help patients access more timely care. Doctors and health care professionals streamline operations to complete required medical paperwork at a faster clip.

The recently passed Virginia State budget reflects the building momentum for AI in health care. The legislative blueprint directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to strengthen call center operations through the application of AI technologies.

Even with the potential to achieve an abundance of favorable health outcomes through AI, we must be cautious about the current challenges facing AI application.

AI is not perfect. A blanketed embrace of AI technologies without appropriate guardrails would be irresponsible policy and grounded in fantasy.

What reality shows is unlocking AI’s full potential in health care requires human supervision. We need responsible administration and active oversight of AI tools, while also placing an emphasis on safety. A human component working with these technologies ensures safer success and allows the patient-physician relationship to truly thrive.

Where patients rely on AI chatbots for mental health resources, a medical professional should review the conversations.

Where a patient request for treatment is denied coverage, a human must oversee that decision.

Congress has a moral obligation to ensure these AI tools are used to assist — not replace — the clinical workforce of today.

Therefore, a balanced embrace of AI applications can lower health care costs, save finite taxpayer dollars and provide breakthrough treatments to American patients.

Taken together, AI promises a new wave of success stories. Human judgment will preserve these stories for generations to come.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today recognizing the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

“Today, I join in celebrating the thirty-sixth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – pivotal legislation that reshaped the lives of millions of Americans living with disabilities, guaranteeing them equal access and equal opportunity.

“Championing the ADA in the House was one of the proudest moments in my career.  Over the past thirty-six years, we have continued to strengthen this progress through the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and seen it advanced through the 1999 Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C., which reaffirmed our original intent to secure full inclusion and equality for all.

“As we reflect on these accomplishments, we are reminded that the fight is not over.  We must acknowledge the dangers of this moment as the Trump Administration undermines the progress we have achieved, seeking to erode opportunities for Americans with disabilities and overturn Congress’s clear intent as recognized by Olmstead.  So, our work continues, and we will keep fighting diligently so that every American may enjoy the promises upon which our nation was founded – liberty and justice for all.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s State of the Union, where he outlined how with 100 days until the midterm elections, Democrats are going to continue to push back on Republican extremism and fight to lower costs for hardworking American taxpayers.

DANA BASH: Here with me now is the House Democratic Leader, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. Mr. Leader, thank you so much for being here. I know that you are launching what Democrats are calling 100 Days Out Weekend of Action with more than 400 grassroots events in competitive states, including Pennsylvania, where you’re going to be speaking later today. At the same time, your party is fighting over whether the path back to the majority runs through the center or the activist left, who want to defund the police, abolish ICE, end aid to Israel, open borders. I know that you call the Democratic Party a mosaic, but are you going to push any of those positions if you win the majority back?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well what unites the party, and certainly what will take place over the next 100 days, beginning today, is a focus on us fighting for an affordable America, based on the reality that life in this country is far too expensive and everybody agrees that that’s the dynamic that the country confronts. Too many people are working hard, they’re playing by the rules, but they can’t thrive and they can barely survive. Not enough food on the table, not enough gas in the tank, unable to actually regularly and consistently afford to pay the rent or pay the mortgage. We want to drive down the cost of groceries, drive down and lower the cost of gasoline, drive down the cost of housing and also make sure that healthcare is affordable for every single American.

DANA BASH: Right, but to do those things, which is the messaging that I’ve heard you say, especially recently, you need to come up with policy proposals. So will those policy proposals be in line with what some of the more progressive members who keep getting elected are pushing? Or will you sort of move more towards the moderate area, where if you do win the majority, it will be likely because they pick up swing districts?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we want to make sure that we are solving problems on behalf of the American people, and that’s in every possible area. It is clear that what unites Democrats, for instance, we forcefully have been pushing back against the One Big Ugly Bill and the effort to enact the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. That’s a disgrace, and clearly that needs to be reversed. We need to make sure that we do things like extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits so that more than 20 million people actually can have healthcare that they can afford restored to them as opposed to the situation that they confront right now because of MAGA extremist policies, which is that they’ve experienced dramatic increases in their health insurance premiums in some cases more than $1000 per month. It certainly is the case, as we’ve already demonstrated unanimously on the House Floor, that we need to stop this reckless and costly war of choice that has skyrocketed gas prices on everyday Americans, and we need to stop the Trump tariffs, which have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year.

DANA BASH: You, according to my colleague Manu Raju, clash with Senator Bernie Sanders over the fact that he is campaigning for progressive candidates, some of whom are challenging incumbents you back, including Members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Are Senator Sanders and other progressives in the party making it harder for you to win in November? Is that what you said to Senator Sanders?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, I wouldn’t describe it as a clash. It was a candid conversation along with Congressman Greg Meeks, the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, with respect to one particular race in North Carolina at the beginning of the primary cycle and trying to get a sense of his approach to that race. I do think that Senator Sanders and Democrats in both the House and the Senate understand the stakes that are in front of us, particularly as we are one hundred days out. And that’s making sure that we actually take back control of the Congress so we can end this MAGA extremism that has been unleashed on the American people that is actively hurting hardworking American taxpayers and actually commit to making life more affordable for the American people. That’s clearly what the American people want to see done, and that’s not what Republicans have been able to accomplish during their time in office since Trump was sworn in back in January of last year.

DANA BASH: I think one of the things that some of those who are winning their primaries and will likely be in office want to know is if you are going to agree to hold votes on abolishing ICE, opening borders, things of that nature. Will you?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I’ve spoken to several of the incoming Members of Congress across the ideological spectrum. Not a single person has raised those issues, other than obviously what they’ve seen from Democrats in pushing back against an out-of-control ICE because we believe that immigration enforcement in this country clearly should be fair, just and humane, and that’s not what’s taking place. That’s the reason why House Democrats have taken a strong position as it relates to not giving a dime to Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine until, of course, there is dramatic reform in this country and that ICE agents actually start to conduct themselves like every other cop, police officer and law enforcement agent in the country.

DANA BASH: Your next-door neighbor, New Jersey, just disclosed that 6,600 non-citizens were mistakenly registered to vote there from 2023 to 2024. 400 of them actually voted in elections since then. It is a small number compared to the 7 million voters in New Jersey and there’s no evidence that that swayed any election. But this is one of the most significant disclosures of non-citizen registration. Democrats have repeatedly said that non-citizen voting doesn’t happen. It happened. Is this a problem?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think that I continue to have confidence in state and local authorities in making sure that there’s going to be a free and fair election in November. And if modest or minor challenges emerge, such as the one that was disclosed voluntarily by the authorities in New Jersey, that it is immediately corrected. And that’s what I expect will continue to happen. Unfortunately, what we’ve seen from Donald Trump is that, in this particular case, Republicans have adopted voter suppression as an electoral strategy because they have failed to actually deliver on making life more affordable for the American people. It was Donald Trump who promised to lower costs on day one, but we know that costs haven’t gone down in this country, costs have gone up. It was Donald Trump, I believe, who said that he was elected not to start wars—endless wars in the Middle East—but to stop them, and then turned around and has gotten us involved in this reckless war of choice in Iran that has skyrocketed gas prices on the American people. By the way, it was Donald Trump who said they were going to love and cherish Medicaid, and then Republicans enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, ripping healthcare away from more than 14 million Americans. They have nothing to run on. We’re going to run on fighting for an affordable America.

DANA BASH: Mr. Leader, before I let you go, President Trump ordered signs placed outside the Museum of American History, warning that it promotes inaccurate history. It comes, of course, as the White House is attacking the Smithsonian, accusing the institution of promoting left-wing ideology. Is there anything you can do to stop those signs from going up?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re going to explore every legislative avenue and every litigation avenue, as we’ve repeatedly done up until this point. Here’s the thing. Black history is American history, and we are not going to let the extremists whitewash it. Not now. Not ever.

DANA BASH: Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives. Thanks so much for being here. I appreciate it.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) Tuesday voted in the full U.S. House against the current version of the $1.15 trillion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

The annual authorization is considered must-pass legislation, with Congress enacting one every year since fiscal 1962. It is separate from the regular annual appropriations bills that Representative Case helps develop as a member of the House Appropriations Committee; those bills actually direct funding using the NDAA as an authorizing framework.  

“Our National Defense Authorization Act is a critical annual measure that not only authorizes our defense spending for the year, supplementing my Appropriations Committee’s parallel funding responsibilities, but also establishes defense policies, including organization and administration of the Defense Department,” said Case, who serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, responsible for all defense and intelligence community funding, and previously served on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, responsible for all funding in those areas.

“While this current version of the FY 2027 NDAA includes many critical Hawai‘i and Indo-Pacific priorities I requested, I regrettably had to vote against it at this stage for various reasons. These included the lack of any Congressional authorization of the Iran war; the insufficiency of any justification for the huge authorized increase in defense spending; the lack of any assurance of adequate Congressional oversight of that spending; and the inclusion of various other proposals not relevant to defense such as the SAVE America Act, which I have separately voted against several other times.”

 Given the significant economic contribution of military construction to Hawai‘i, Case highlighted various projects he advocated for that were included in the NDAA, including: 

·         $507 million to continue building Dry Dock 5 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. 

·         $248 million to continue building the Red Hill Water Treatment Plant. Case provided the initial funding for this effort in FY 2026 through his assignment on the House Appropriations Committee.   

·         $184 million to expand the Ford Island Pacific Warfighting Center at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. 

·         $142 million to make airfield improvements at the Pacific Missile Range Facility.  

·         $90 million for an aircraft maintenance hangar at Wheeler Army Airfield. 

·         $77 million to expand an armory at Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i. 

·         $72 million for water wells and storage tanks at Helemano Military Reservation.  

·         $71 million for a clear well and booster pump at Fort Shafter. 

·         $49 million to upgrade the main gate at Marine Corp Base Hawai‘i.  

·         $34 million at Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i for an air traffic control compound. 

·         $30 million for a fire station at Schofield Barracks.  

·         $26 million for an elevated water tank and distribution lines at Schofield Barracks. 

·         $21 million for a water storage tank Schofield Barracks. 

·         $4 million for a Secure Integration Support Lab on Maui. 

The measure also included three floor amendments (amendments added in full House deliberations) authored by Case that: 

·         Require a study on the potential benefits of establishing a Strategic Infrastructure Partnership Initiative to assist U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) in identifying, developing and implementing dual-use infrastructure projects across the Indo-Pacific. 

·         Require a comprehensive analysis of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) influence and activities within the Freely Associated States and recommending steps to help protect these three Pacific nations. 

·         Direct the Space Force to assess the security, physical, cyber and geopolitical vulnerabilities of commercially owned and operated satellite ground-based nodes located within the Indo-Pacific. Multiple such locations are in Hawai‘i. 

The bill further included several provisions advocated for and supported by Case to continue the military’s investment in Hawai‘i and the Indo-Pacific, including:  

·         Authorizing an additional $2.5 million for the Pacific Disaster Center on Maui.

·         Extending the authority for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. 

·         Formally establishing an Inter-Pacific Air Forces Academy. This existing yet uncodified program focuses on leader-follower self-awareness, enhancing strategic intelligence, cultivating intercultural communication and fostering relationships among the multinational enlisted force. 

·         Requiring a study on recapitalizing the Army’s watercraft fleet and how they will be supported by uncrewed systems. Hawai‘i is the homeport for three Army watercraft. 

·         Directing the military to prioritize the distribution and retention of KC-135 tanker aircraft to Air Force and Air National Guard installations in the Indo-Pacific. Hawai‘i Air National Guard’s 154th Wing currently operates KC-135s out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.  

·         Requiring the military to establish a secure, all-domain, virtual-constructive training environment to support training in the Indo-Pacific. This will help reduce the need to conduct more dangerous live-fire training.  

·         Directing the Navy to evaluate installations that are critical to force generation, deployment and sustainment for USPACOM and what can be done to improve the capacity of naval shipyards, regional maintenance centers, depots, aircraft maintenance facilities and civilian industrial capacity to maintain, repair and rearm ships and aircraft. 

·         Authorizing  $1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative.

·         Authorizing $8.4 billion for two Virginia-class attack submarines. Pearl Harbor is the home of this class of submarine and conducts major maintenance on them at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.  

The bill additionally included several provisions cosponsored by Case, including amendments that:  

·         Direct the Defense Department to conduct base hardening assessments at key logistics nodes and commercial interfaces for major defense installations, which would include locations in Hawai‘i. 

·         Direct the military to inventory, assess and prioritize all military construction and logistics infrastructure projects across the Indo-Pacific to meet USPACOM’s operational requirements. 

·         Extend the requirement to annually assess of Taiwan’s military readiness, regional allied responses and U.S. contingency planning in the face of rising Chinese aggression. 

·         Extend the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative through 2031 and expand it to include unmanned systems. 

·         Mandate a report to Congress on the military’s strategy for developing a resilient and distributed missile tracking system and authorize funds to implement the report’s recommendations. These efforts can be used to help improve the defense of Hawai‘i.  

Finally, the NDAA version included various provisions Case has supported to assist our nation’s servicemembers, including:

·         Directs a 7% pay raise for junior enlisted personnel, a 6% raise for senior enlisted personnel and junior officers, and a 5% raise for senior officers. 

·         Protects the collective bargaining rights of civilian Defense Department employees. 

·          Authorizes over $1.8 billion for new construction of barracks and family housing.

·         Requires an assessment of junior enlisted housing shortfalls and a plan to close housing shortfalls.

·         Authorizes incentive pay for medical officers with doctoral degrees.  

·         Increases the Family Separation Allowance for deployed servicemembers. 

·         Authorizes $226 million to design and build new childcare centers.

·         Authorizes $170 million for new on-base schools. 

·          Authorizes a pilot program to provide grants to expand access to childcare for military families. 

·         Authorizes $50 million in Impact Aid assistance to public schools with military dependent students and an additional $20 million in assistance to local schools teaching children with severe disabilities. 

·         Requires a cost-of-living allowance to eligible servicemembers. The authority is currently optional and only applies to servicemembers assigned to high-cost areas.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 216 to 212 and now heads to the Senate for its consideration. “I am hopeful that, as this critical measure moves further through the legislative process, its serious flaws will be corrected and I will be able to vote yes on the final version, as I have with past NDAAs,” said Case. 

ATTACHMENTS:  

1.      The text of the bill is available here.  

2.      The explanatory committee report is available here.  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) released the following statement in response to House Republicans’ vote to extend government funding through December 4:

“Voted ‘No’ on tonight’s partisan funding bill because the bill fails to properly fund critical programs and fails to protect California’s federal funding from being targeted by the Administration,” said Thompson. “This bill underfunds programs that provide housing assistance, programs that help rural communities with utility costs, and programs to suppress wildland fires. Housing, utility, and fire prevention costs are already way too high in our district. I refuse to support a bill that does nothing to prevent the Administration from withholding critical federal funds for California.”

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Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 4th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo Counties. He is a senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Rep. Thompson is Chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. He is also Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus and a member of the fiscally-responsible Blue Dog Coalition.